IBEW Hour Power Job tips - Here's a tip

[bbaumer]

I was going over some of my "favorites" and re-discovered the site MDShunk posted awhile back with the video tips at ibewhourpower.com.

I'd like to submit a tip to win a prize but I am not an IBEW member (required), so I will just share it with you and if one of you IBEW guys wants to submit it go ahead.

This one is mostly for the residential guys. If you need to cut in a box and can/must feed it from below it can be hard to find the wall cavity sometimes, or hard to find exactly where you need to drill. Can't drill a small pilot hole next to the wall into the floor below if it is carpeted because the carpet will almost undoubtedly ball up on the drill and tick off Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner, not to mention 3" or so of a small bit can still be hard to see in a crawl space.

Or can you?

Cut the bottom "straight" length off a wire coat hangar. Make one cut at a sharp angle and chuck the other end into your battery drill. Drills right through carpet without balling and zips right through the subfloor and into the basement or crawl space. This give you a very easily identifiable location. Go into the basement or crawl and back off 1 3/4" from the coat hangar and drill the hole for your romex right into the center of the wall cavity. Works good.

This may be common knowledge and if so, sorry, but I learned it years ago and most guys I've shared it with hadn't heard it before.

 

[charlie]

Good tip, it reminds me of using a finishing nail with the head cut off to "drill" a pilot hole in a picture frame (head end goes into the chuck). You had me worried with the IBEW in the title though. I was concerned that this would be a union vs merit shop discussion and we would have to shut it down.

It would be well if someone did post it to their site. It is always good to share knowledge and that is why this site does so well. :smile:

 

[LarryFine]

Silly me. I've been doint it all in one step by drilling down through the bottom plate through the cut-in hole with a flex-bit, and pulling the wire in using the cross-drilled hole if necessary.

 

[bbaumer]

That works too, if you happen to have one of the flex bits......and you hope there is nothing in the way below that your larger bit "gets" into.

 

[ike5547]

That works too, if you happen to have one of the flex bits......and you hope there is nothing in the way below that your larger bit "gets" into.

I have a 6 foot x 3/8" flexible bit if i need to drill a pilot.

 

[bbaumer]

My point was on the flex bits and cutting the hole for the box first, what do you do when you cut the hole, drill your flex bit hole and find out you are over a duct between joists?

Oh well, thought it was a good idea for locating where you are/want to be. Guess it is a waste of time.......

 

[electricalperson]

My point was on the flex bits and cutting the hole for the box first, what do you do when you cut the hole, drill your flex bit hole and find out you are over a duct between joists?

Oh well, thought it was a good idea for locating where you are/want to be. Guess it is a waste of time.......

thats the method i prefer to use. i dont really trust the flex bits too much. ive seen people drill through the opposite side of the wall before. someone even drilled through a fiber glass bathtub with one.

pretty good trick

 

[powerslave]

I was going over some of my "favorites" and re-discovered the site MDShunk posted awhile back with the video tips at ibewhourpower.com.

I'd like to submit a tip to win a prize but I am not an IBEW member (required), so I will just share it with you and if one of you IBEW guys wants to submit it go ahead.

This one is mostly for the residential guys. If you need to cut in a box and can/must feed it from below it can be hard to find the wall cavity sometimes, or hard to find exactly where you need to drill. Can't drill a small pilot hole next to the wall into the floor below if it is carpeted because the carpet will almost undoubtedly ball up on the drill and tick off Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner, not to mention 3" or so of a small bit can still be hard to see in a crawl space.

Or can you?

Cut the bottom "straight" length off a wire coat hangar. Make one cut at a sharp angle and chuck the other end into your battery drill. Drills right through carpet without balling and zips right through the subfloor and into the basement or crawl space. This give you a very easily identifiable location. Go into the basement or crawl and back off 1 3/4" from the coat hangar and drill the hole for your romex right into the center of the wall cavity. Works good.

This may be common knowledge and if so, sorry, but I learned it years ago and most guys I've shared it with hadn't heard it before.

Thanks for the tip. I'm gonna try it.

It's always good to know alternative ways of doing something. More than one way to skin a cat.

 

[480sparky]

Thanks for the tip. I'm gonna try it.

Just don't put too much pressure on the 'bit'. They tend to fold over when pushed too much.

If it gets dull, just cut the end again and it's sharp!

 

[electricalperson]

they also sell 1/8th inch 12 inch long bits that work better than a coathanger but leaves the same size small hole

 

[mdshunk]

I have also used scrap pieces of fish tape to drill my "locater hole" too.

 

[ike5547]

ive seen people drill through the opposite side of the wall before.

There's definitely an unappealing learning curve with these types of bits. I'm glad it's over.

 

[bjp_ne_elec]

The 1/8 x 12" bits still have the issue or risking grabbing a fiber in the carpet and pulling it through the length.

Those metal rods used to hold the insulation are the "nutz".

 

[JohnE]

bbauer, good tip. I've posted that one before ( http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=79654&highlight=%22insulation) but it is worth repeating, imo. We use "insulation rods" here which are exactly what you describe in the cut coathanger. The insulators leave piles of them on most jobs. And on an older house, you can often pilfer one from the unfinished basement. And I really agree with locating the bay to make sure you can get there before cutting the drywall and drill down with a flex bit.

 

[mdshunk]

The 12 gauge steel ceiling tie wires are about the same as insulation support rods. They work well also. Sometimes you need a longer one, and snagging a 4 or 5 foot piece of ceiling wire for the truck isn't a bad idea.

 

[nakulak]

nice tips. I'm gonna run out and get me one of those 10' flex bits. I've always wanted to drill thru a bathtub but I never had the right tool.

 

[ike5547]

I'm gonna run out and get me one of those 10' flex bits. I've always wanted to drill thru a bathtub but I never had the right tool.

Any good tool in the wrong hands can be be dangerous. I don't need to drill through peoples floors, so I don't.

 

[frizbeedog]

I have also used scrap pieces of fish tape to drill my "locater hole" too.

I cut sections of slack wire...bettter than a coat hanger.

 

[frizbeedog]

The 12 gauge steel ceiling tie wires are about the same as insulation support rods. They work well also. Sometimes you need a longer one, and snagging a 4 or 5 foot piece of ceiling wire for the truck isn't a bad idea.

Oopps.....I didn't read the whole thread.